1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products for macro facilities for direction of streaming video.
2. Description of the Related Art
Streaming digital content delivered to users via networks is a powerful way of delivery substantive content of entertainment, education, and business communications to users. In the current state of the art, however, the users themselves are required to control presentations of streaming digital content. Many prior art implementations of streaming video and audio, including for example, RealPlayer™ from RealNetworks, Inc., of Seattle, Wash., Apple's QuickTime™, and Microsoft's Windows Media Player, actually require user to have some kind of video viewer application open in order to control video streaming. User controls are simple, including the analogues for the controls found on VHS videotape recorders, Play, Pause, Stop, and the like. During playback of a clip in such prior art devices, no director control is provided on the server side of the stream of digital content. Most prior art systems for formulating presentation of streaming digital content are oriented to formulating playback of clips recorded prior to their presentation over a network. To the extent that control systems exist for formulation and control of digitized output streams of live video and audio, such controls are expensive and specialized, typically requiring direct connection to particular servers, workstations, or other computers. There remains in the art therefore, a need for convenient, powerful, flexible, means of formulating and controlling streaming digital content.